The MLB Playoffs are underway, and we are focusing on the DraftKings Showdown contest for Game 2 of the ALCS between the Rays and Astros, which takes place on Monday at 4:07 p.m. ET.

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Showdown Strategy

Houston Astros

After a strong finish to the regular season, Lance McCullers ($10,400) didn’t have the best game in his first playoff outing. He scored just 5.6 DKFP in a game where the ball was flying out of the park. I am actually not too concerned with that game. The hitting conditions ended up ideal and if not for the crazy carry on fly balls that day, McCullers probably would have had a good outing. In four innings, he struck out five hitters and only issued one walk. I think he should bounce back today. McCullers scored at least 24 DKFP in each of his last three starts of the regular season.

At the moment, no hitter on the Astros is performing better than Jose Altuve ($9,600). Injuries slowed him down in the regular season, but now that he’s healthy, Altuve looks to be back in peak form. He has homered in two of his past three games and has at least 14 DKFP in three of his past five games. Houston dealt with so many injuries in the regular season that it’s hard to put too much weight into the numbers its players put up in a shortened regular season.

Michael Brantley ($6,000) has been underpriced for a while in DFS. He’s one of the only hitters who didn’t struggle for the Astros in the regular season, finishing with a 134 wRC+. The success is carrying over to the postseason, where Brantley has a 183 wRC+ and has launched a pair of homers. The pricing algorithm has something against Brantley and it’s something we should take advantage of.

If you need a bargain bat to punt with, Josh Reddick ($4,000) is min price and will likely start tonight. Even though his postseason production leaves a lot to be desired, I am typically willing to roster just about any min priced starter because the ideal lineup build in showdown often involves rostering both of the starting pitchers.

Tampa Bay Rays

Ideally, we want to roster both starters in this game, although I have a slight lean toward Charlie Morton ($16,200 CP/$10,800) since the Rays are favored today. He’s the best option for the Captain’s slot. Like many players in this contest, Morton missed time during the regular season because of an injury, but it didn’t affect him in his first playoff outing. In a tough matchup against the Yankees, Morton worked five innings while only allowing one earned run and scored 21.7 DKFP.

Randy Arozarena ($8,400) has been a breakout star in the playoffs. He was also great in the regular season, but he’s finally getting some national recognition. Of all the great hitters in this game, Arozarena leads them all with an average of 9.9 DKFP per game. His 277 wRC+ in the playoffs certainly isn’t sustainable; however, there is reason to think he’s one of the better hitters in the league right now and he isn’t priced like it. Everything he makes contact with seems to have an exit velocity of over 100 mph.

Hitting leadoff, Austin Meadows ($7,200) is a player to target. Involved in one of the more one-sided trades in recent memory, Meadow came to the Rays with Tyler Glasnow in exchange for Chris Archer. With power and speed upside, he’s always a good DFS target. Meadows hit a carer-high 33 homers during the full 2019 season.

One thing that makes some of the cheaper bats tricky on the Rays is how often they pinch-hit. This isn’t an issue for Kevin Kiermaier ($4,400). As one of the top defensive outfielders in the league, Tampa Bay typically doesn’t pull him. Kiermaier is also serviceable at the plate and has a 99 wRC+ in the postseason.

The Outcome

The line for this game is close to even on DraftKings Sportsbook and it’s a line I agree with. It’s hard to give either team a massive edge, and last night’s game was also extremely close. I give a slight lean toward the Rays, but I am not really confident in predicting the outcome of Game 2.

Final Score: Tampa Bay 4, Houston 3

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: MLB Showdown $35K Hidden Ball Trick [$10K to 1st] (HOU vs TB)

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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is gehrenberg) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.

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